Asha Sharma

Microsoft is cutting 4,800 employees, primarily in its Xbox gaming division, as new CEO Asha Sharma admits the business is 'not healthy' and operating at unprofitable margins. The gaming industry faces broader challenges, including Sony's controversial shift to digital-only PlayStation games and a memory shortage driving up costs, while Grand Theft Auto VI's release may not resolve these systemic issues.

Microsoft is cutting 3,200 jobs from its Xbox business, with new CEO Asha Sharma stating the unit is 'not healthy.' The layoffs and divestitures follow failed growth strategies and rising costs in the video game industry, which analysts say are exacerbated by expensive game development and competition from mobile gaming.

Microsoft is cutting 4,800 jobs, approximately 2.1% of its global workforce, with the majority of layoffs occurring in its Xbox video game division. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced the cuts in a memo, highlighting the impact on the company's gaming sector.

Microsoft is cutting 4,800 jobs globally, including 1,600 Xbox employees, as part of a reorganization to 'reset' its gaming division. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma stated the business is 'not healthy' due to lower profit margins compared to competitors and a 'hardware crisis' in console component costs.

Microsoft is cutting 4,800 jobs, primarily in its Xbox division, as part of a restructuring to address financial challenges and invest in AI. The company will spin off or sell four game studios, with others under review, as Xbox CEO Asha Sharma aims to improve the division's profitability by 2027.

Microsoft is cutting 4,800 jobs globally, including 1,600 at its Xbox division, as part of a reorganization to 'reset' its gaming business amid heightened competition and a 'hardware crisis.' Xbox CEO Asha Sharma stated the division operates at significantly lower margins compared to similar platform and publishing businesses.

Microsoft's Xbox division plans to cut 3,200 employees (20% of its workforce) this fiscal year, with 1,600 layoffs announced immediately. The cuts are part of a broader Microsoft restructuring, citing poor business performance and a hardware crisis.

Microsoft is planning to announce job cuts affecting thousands of roles, including sales, consulting, and Xbox gaming division positions, as part of cost-control measures amid increased AI spending. The cuts will impact less than 2.5% of the company's 220,000-person workforce, making this round smaller than layoffs in previous years.

Jacob Andreou, a 33-year-old Microsoft executive, successfully tested the Copilot Tasks AI tool by autonomously ordering a McDonald’s cheeseburger, demonstrating its functionality. Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, has entrusted Andreou with leading Copilot, a key AI product, to regain competitiveness in the AI race against companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and other corporate leaders attribute rising product prices to increased costs from AI data centers and component shortages. Companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Dell report higher expenses for memory and storage chips due to demand from AI development, leading to unavoidable price hikes for consumers.

Microsoft's Xbox division is preparing for significant layoffs next month, with Xbox CEO Asha Sharma hinting at 'hard choices.' Sources suggest potential studio closures or changes to the Xbox studio lineup, and rumors of 1,000 layoffs were mentioned by Giant Bomb, while Bloomberg reported the cuts would be 'major.'

Microsoft is reevaluating its next-generation Xbox Project Helix console and exploring 'radically different' console business models due to the RAMageddon crisis. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and strategy chief Matthew Ball emphasized the need to make the console affordable and flexible.

Microsoft has hired Matthew Ball as Xbox chief strategy officer, where he will lead strategy. Ball is a longtime gamer and game industry analyst who publishes an annual state of video gaming report. He has previously held roles at Illumination, Amazon Studios, Otter Media, and Accenture Strategy.

Microsoft launched Xbox Player Voice to collect fan feedback, and fans are demanding exclusive games, more backward compatible games, and free online multiplayer. The most upvoted feedback prioritizes these features, with Xbox CEO Asha Sharma reconsidering the approach to exclusives. Fans want a better gaming experience on Xbox consoles.

Microsoft is rebranding Xbox to XBOX, as revealed by a poll run by Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. The company has renamed its X account to XBOX, and other social media accounts are expected to follow. This change marks a return to the original all-caps branding for the gaming platform.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma rallied employees with a four-point action plan, focusing on hardware, games, and other areas after two years of turbulence. The plan aims to revitalize Xbox's position. Sharma first delivered the 'return of Xbox' message in February.

Xbox is introducing a new console boot animation and sound on May 13th, featuring the recently revealed Xbox logo with a glassy look. The new design is also being used in Microsoft's internal next-gen Project Helix. The update is part of ongoing changes to the Xbox brand.

Microsoft is halting Copilot development for Xbox consoles, retiring features that don't align with the company's future plans. The Copilot brand has failed to gain traction with customers, and its discontinuation on Xbox is part of a broader re-evaluation of the technology. New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced the decision on social media.

Microsoft is stopping development of Xbox Copilot AI on console and winding down the service on mobile. The decision was announced by new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. The move follows a reorganization of the Xbox platform team.

Microsoft's new Xbox chief, Asha Sharma, is making changes to the Xbox organization, including reducing Game Pass prices and reorganizing the platform team. Some veterans will depart, while new faces with technical expertise will join. Jared Palmer will become VP of engineering.

Asha Sharma, the new Xbox CEO at Microsoft, is overhauling the leadership team due to sinking sales, stating that the unit needs to spend more time with developers and players. The goal is to evolve how the team works. This change comes as Microsoft's Xbox sales are declining.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is rebranding Microsoft's gaming division as 'Xbox,' replacing 'Microsoft Gaming.' Employees will receive @xbox.com email addresses starting next month, with Mojang employees also getting @mojang.com addresses. The change aims to reinforce the Xbox brand identity.

Microsoft's new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and Xbox Chief Content Officer Matt Booty have outlined a strategy for Xbox's 'return,' emphasizing daily active players and priorities like hardware, content, experience, and services. The memo acknowledges player frustrations with infrequent console updates, weak PC presence, pricing challenges, and fragmented core experiences.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is reevaluating Xbox's approach to exclusive games and windowed releases, signaling a potential strategic shift. The announcement comes amid fan backlash over Microsoft's decision to port games to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, though no firm commitment to returning exclusives has been made.

Microsoft is reverting to 'Xbox' as its gaming division brand, replacing 'Microsoft Gaming', as announced by Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. The decision was made during an internal meeting where Sharma emphasized that 'Xbox needs to be our identity', citing a departure from the previous branding. The change follows recent updates like an Xbox Game Pass price cut and hints at a partnership with Discord.

Microsoft has hinted at a new partnership between Discord and Xbox Game Pass, following recent price reductions for its Game Pass subscriptions. Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma indicated the collaboration aims to enhance flexibility for Game Pass players, though specific details remain unclear. Current Game Pass Ultimate subscribers already receive a month of Discord Nitro as part of their subscription.

Microsoft lowered Game Pass subscription prices in the US, with Game Pass Ultimate dropping to $22.99/month and PC Game Pass to $13.99/month. However, subscribers will no longer receive day-one access to new Call of Duty games, though older titles remain available. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma cited the need to make Game Pass more affordable.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass are experiencing price reductions, with Ultimate dropping to $22.99/month from $29.99 and PC Game Pass to $13.99/month from $16.49. The changes coincide with new Call of Duty titles no longer joining Game Pass at launch, instead being added a year later.

Microsoft has reduced the price of its Xbox Game Pass subscription service, but future Call of Duty titles will no longer be available on the service at launch. Other Microsoft-owned studio games will remain on Game Pass at release, and older Call of Duty titles will stay accessible.

Microsoft's new Xbox chief, Asha Sharma, is actively engaging with game developers and studios to shape Xbox's future. She recently met with publishers at the Game Developers Conference and is evaluating Game Pass pricing strategies. Sharma is in a learning phase before making key strategic decisions.

Microsoft's new Xbox chief, Asha Sharma, acknowledged in a leaked memo that Xbox Game Pass has become too expensive for players and needs a better value equation. She indicated potential short-term pricing adjustments and long-term evolution of the service.